Melbourne Musician Fergus Hunt Passes Away

Fergus Hunt, known for performing in the Melbourne trio bZARK, has passed away “suddenly but peacefully” after a short battle with illness, per a press release from Rubber Records.

Hunt was born in Melbourne in 1973. He first picked up a guitar at the age of six and began his journey of seriously prioritising music as a 16-year-old. After studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, Hunt met his longtime musical collaborator Tarek Smallman in 1993.

In 1994, Smallman asked if Hunt would be interested in starting a musical project. After a year of plugging away as a duo, Gareth Skinner joined them in 1995.

bZARK made their live debut at the inner Melbourne haunt of The Empress of India—supporting The Mavis’s—and became fixtures in Melbourne’s live music scene. They later played alongside Helmet, Beck, Powderfinger, Something For Kate, Regurgitator, and Spiderbait—all before breaking up in 1999.

A press release notes that Hunt died suddenly but peacefully at home after suffering a short battle with illness. A funeral service for the musician will take place at 2:30 pm on Thursday, 12 June, at St. Aloysius Church in Caulfield North, Victoria. All who care about Hunt are welcome to attend.

Tarek Smallman said of Hunt’s passing, “I am deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of my dear friend and longest-term musical collaborator Fergus Hunt. His talents as a musician, songwriter, performer and lyricist truly inspired me, and his influence on me during my formative years making music is immeasurable.

“Fergus and I had recently started working together again, and had many new and unfinished musical projects in the works. I will endeavour to keep Fergus’s spirit alive by continuing to work on our recordings, and eventually releasing them into the world.”

bZARK’s self-funded, self-produced debut album, Eternity In An Hour, was released in 1996. The band signed to Rubber Records the following year.

After signing with Rubber Records, bZARK released two albums and two EPs between 1997 and 1999, splitting up in 1999. In 2014, bZARK returned for a one-off performance to celebrate 25 years of Rubber Records. In 2015, the trio recorded a third album, which remains unreleased.

Between 2017 and 2019, Hunt and Smallman performed as The Other Kind, recording covers, originals, and new takes of bZARK songs. In 2023, the duo released a live cover of Hoochie Coochie Man by Willie Dixon.